[ad_1]
Facebook confirmed that advertisers were aware of phone numbers donated by social network members to enhance security.
Facebook admits phone numbers can be used to target ads
(Representative image)
A study by two American universities, first published by the Gizmodo information website, revealed that phone numbers assigned to Facebook for two-factor authentication were also used to target advertising. . Two-factor authentication aims to improve security by requiring a second step, such as entering codes sent via text messages, as well as passwords to access accounts.
According to the study, phone numbers added to profiles, for security purposes or for messaging, were potential sources of revenue for advertisers. "These results are valid despite the fact that all the privacy controls in our test accounts are set to their most private settings," the researchers said in their study of how advertisers can obtain personal information.
The lists of contacts downloaded on Facebook platforms could be retrieved for personal information, which means that people could unwittingly help advertisers to target their friends. "The most disturbing, we found that the phone numbers downloaded as part of the synchronization of contacts – which had never belonged to a user and were never listed
<! –
->
The study is based on fears that Facebook uses "hidden" sources of data not provided to the social network for the purpose of sharing to earn money on advertising. "We use the information provided by people to offer a more personalized Facebook experience, including advertisements," said a spokesperson in response to an AFP survey on the study's findings. .
"We clearly know how we use the information collected, including the contact information that people download or add to their own accounts." Facebook is struggling with the worst crisis in its history, criticized for not having zealously kept the information shared by users. The Silicon Valley-based Internet Colossus has been the subject of intense international scrutiny over massive data collection by Cambridge Analytica, a British political advisory firm that worked for the campaign Donald Trump's election in 2016.
The company admitted that up to 87 million users could have their data hacked during the scandal.
[ad_2]
Source link
